Creative Uses for Flea Market Finds

Featured Pro: Kristan Cunningham
Category: Home Décor
Time: 1:55


KRISTAN CUNNINGHAM: Hi, there. I’m Kristen Cunningham, and this is your GMC Trade Secret, brought to you by the GMC Acadia.

You know, my favorite thing to do on the weekends is go to garage sales and flea markets. And half the fun is finding things that you have no idea what they were meant to be in the first place and then bringing them home and figuring out what to do with them in a new light.

I’ve got a few items here that I think are really great finds, even though they’re not in the best condition now. This sweater has a few holes in it. It’s going to make a fantastic pillow. This sweater – I haven’t figured out what I’m going to do with it yet, but it has this beautiful doily in the middle and it’s so well-made. There’s stains on the sweater itself, but so much time went into making it that I’ve got to use it for something else.

The trunk – such a gorgeous find. It’s beat up. It’s got character. And I’m thinking of it for either firewood by the fireplace, or maybe with some rolled-up towels in the bathroom or blankets next to the sofa.

This tablecloth – absolute gorgeous find. It had a stain right smack dab in the middle. But cut in half, they’re going to make beautiful curtains.

And I like to take vintage bottles like this and, after cleaning them very well, I keep them in my refrigerator with filtered water, and that’s what I use in lieu of plastic in my house.

Burlap sacks – I’m going to make some Roman shades out of those, held up with belts. I think those will add a really nice texture to the room.

Whether I put feathers or flowers in this, I have no idea, but I have a feeling it’s going to stick around. These ski poles are one of my favorite finds of all time. They’re not really going to hold me up on the ski slopes, but they’re going to make fantastic curtain rods.

These old wine crates can be anything from a shadow box hanging on the wall to storage for files for your home office.

Lots of great ideas here. All of them cost hardly anything. It’s really all about putting your imagination to use and figuring out how to turn old things into new items.

I’m Kristan Cunningham, and that’s your GMC Trade Secret.